HJ Accounting & Advisory is a chartered accounting firm that has served the Hutt region since 1989, operating from 130 Tirohanga Road in Lower Hutt and supporting a broad range of clients across the Greater Wellington Region. Directors Helen and Alastair McEwen lead a small, deliberately close-knit team of five — a scale the firm sees as a strength, because it lets them adapt to individual clients and provide the personal service that suits each one's needs and aspirations.
The firm's work spans three core areas — accounting, business advisory and startup support — alongside tax planning, in-house bookkeeping and Xero-based systems; it is a Xero Gold Champion Partner, a Xero Payroll Specialist and an NZQBA Qualified Bookkeeper Member. Communication is in plain English rather than 'Accountanese', fees are set out in a written proposal before work begins, and fixed fee plans include quick 10-minute phone or email queries at no extra cost, plus an annual one-hour meeting with your client manager.
The philosophy is family focused: a business should work for you, not the other way around, and the team sees its role as helping clients build the life they and their families want. That approach has created long relationships — some clients have stayed more than 15 years, one since 1999 — along with figures the firm quotes proudly: 400+ happy clients, 500+ business consultations and 97% client satisfaction.
You can reach the team on +64 4 566 3302 or [email protected]. The postal address is PO Box 30382, Lower Hutt 5040, and the firm shares free helpful tips on its website for business owners between visits.
HJ Accounting & Advisory has been part of the Hutt Valley business landscape since 1989. From its office at 130 Tirohanga Road in Lower Hutt, the firm provides chartered accounting and personalised business advisory services to a broad range of clients across the Greater Wellington Region. Its stated purpose is a simple one: enabling clients to achieve their goals.
HJ is intentionally small. The firm employs five experts, and directors Helen and Alastair McEwen are candid that this scale is exactly what allows them to adapt to individual clients and provide the personal service each needs. It is also a family business in the truest sense — the McEwens have been married for more than 25 years and took over the helm together in 2019, when founding director Leigh Johnston stood down after leading the firm since its formation. Leigh remains on as a consultant, working with specific clients on specialised matters, and still enjoys getting out of the office to meet clients on-site.
Helen joined the firm in 2006 and describes herself as a self-confessed problem solver who loves finding the perfect solution; Alastair arrived in 2019 after more than eight years running his own practice and values building stable, long-lasting client relationships. They are joined by client manager Tania Cribb, a long-standing team member known for her strong client relationships, and office manager Patricia De Mooy, who came aboard in April 2023 after running her own commercial building business and also handles bookkeeping for several clients.
The firm's work falls into three main areas. **Accounting** is built around one idea: in today's competitive market, you need up-to-date and accurate financial information when you need it. **Business advisory** goes deeper — a planning process the firm says gets to the heart and soul of your business, identifying and prioritising goals and then creating strategies to achieve them. **Startup support** rounds this out, and HJ has developed an excellent reputation for working alongside new business owners as they realise their goals.
Behind those headline services sit the practical tools clients rely on every day: tax planning, bookkeeping, and cloud accounting. The firm is a Xero Gold Champion Partner and a Xero Payroll Specialist, and it also holds NZQBA Qualified Bookkeeper membership.
Two commitments shape the client experience. The first is clear communication: the team talks in plain English, not in what it calls "Accountanese", and every client receives an annual one-hour meeting with their client manager to discuss any issues and make the business even better. Quick 10-minute queries by phone or email are answered at no extra cost on fixed fee plans.
The second is transparent fees. On joining, clients receive a written proposal outlining the work to be done and its estimated costs, with a choice of fixed fee or time-and-cost billing. If a request falls outside that proposal, the firm flags it and presents a separate proposal for the service — no surprises.
The firm's own numbers tell part of the story: more than 400 happy clients, over 500 business consultations and a 97% client satisfaction rate. Client testimonials fill in the rest. Ali Dennis, director of Fitness Goals Limited, has been a client since 1999 and credits the team with helping grow his sports coaching business by 300%, saving him thousands of dollars annually and providing what he calls inspiring solutions to everyday business problems. Mike Roche, a client of more than 15 years, praises the firm's outstanding service and advice and its friendly, responsive people. Jaco van der Walt highlights support that goes "beyond just being accountants", including invaluable advice on financial planning and management of finances.
Underpinning everything is a family-focused view of business: a business should work for you, not you for the business. It exists to help you attain your personal goals, and the firm's advisory work is aimed squarely at creating the life you and your family desire.
For business owners in Lower Hutt and the wider Wellington region, getting started is straightforward — phone +64 4 566 3302, email [email protected], or browse the free helpful tips on the firm's website, which cover everything from choosing the right business structure to managing and minimising fixed costs and keeping up with recent fringe benefit tax changes.